'Number of fatalities' after shooting at Parkland, Florida, high school, senator says | 14 Feb 2018 | A gunman opened fire at a Florida high school on Wednesday afternoon, and there are "a number of fatalities," according to Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. Authorities responded to an active shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland around 2:30 p.m. and said that the gunman was not in custody. More than an hour later, just after 4 p.m., the Broward County Sheriff's Office announced on Twitter that a suspect had been apprehended, adding that the scene was still active. Citing Broward County officials, Nelson told NBC News that there were multiple fatalities.

Mitt Romney set to announce his Utah Senate bid - NBC News | 14 Feb 2018 | Mitt Romney [Deep State dirt-bag] will announce on Thursday his bid for Utah's up-for-grabs U.S. Senate seat, sources close to the 2012 Republican presidential nominee told NBC News. The announcement will be in a video message rather than a large-scale rally or kick-off event, according to NBC. Romney's first live campaign speech will be given at the Utah County Lincoln Day dinner on Friday night, sources told NBC. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Romney spoke openly against then-candidate Donald Trump.

White powdery substance found to be baby powder at former President Obama's DC office | 13 Feb 2018 | An envelope with a "powdery substance" found at former President Barack Obama's D.C. office is now found to be baby powder, following a police investigation on Tuesday. The incident was reported at around 11 a.m. at the World Wildlife Fund Headquarters at 1250 24th Street in Northwest D.C. D.C. Fire and EMS first responders wearing hazmat suits entered the building to investigate. FBI and Secret Service also responded to the scene.

'White powder' sent to Barack Obama's Washington office sparks urgent probe | 13 Feb 2018 | Reports a 'white substance' has been sent to Barack Obama's Washington office has sparked an investigation. It comes just a day after Donald Trump's daughter-in-law was taken to hospital a letter containing a 'suspicious substance' was sent to her New York apartment. And counter-terror police were deployed to the Houses of Parliament this morning after a package of white powder reportedly sent to Amber Rudd's office sparked a security alert. Both packages were investigated by police, who found them to be harmless.

Tip-off received on Al-Nusra, White Helmets plotting chemical weapons provocation in Syria - Moscow | 13 Feb 2018 | Russia's Center for Reconciliation in Syria says it's been warned that Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorists brought in chlorine containers to a local village, where they aimed to work with the White Helmets [another terrorist group] to stage "a provocation." Late on Monday, the center received a phone call from a resident of the village of Serakab in Idlib province about the planned incident. According to the source, on the afternoon of February 12, rebels from the Jabhat Al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) terrorist organization brought three cars packed with more than 20 cylinders of chlorine along with personal protective equipment to Serakab. Additionally, according to the caller, representatives of the local branch of the White Helmets, wearing individual means of protection, conducted rehearsals of "giving first aid" to "local residents" who were supposedly suffering from poisoning. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in October that the notorious Idlib chemical incident in April, which was used by the US as a pretext to strike Syria's Shayrat Airbase, might have been staged.

Senior White House official to resign after ex-wives' allegations of abuse | 07 Feb 2018 | A senior White House official said Wednesday that he would resign after his two ex-wives accused him of physical and emotional abuse, with one presenting pictures of her blackened eye. The official, Rob Porter, served as the staff secretary. Porter functioned as Chief of Staff John F. Kelly's top enforcer in their shared mission to instill discipline and order in...the West Wing. Aides had been aware generally of accusations against Porter since late last year, White House advisers said, but learned of the specifics late Tuesday when approached by a reporter from DailyMail dot com, which first detailed many of the allegations.

U.S. Strikes Killed Scores of Russia Fighters in Syria, Sources Say | 13 Feb 2018 | U.S. forces killed scores of Russian soldiers in Syria last week in what may be the deadliest clash between citizens of the former foes since the Cold War, according to one U.S. official and three Russians familiar with the matter. More than 200 contract soldiers, mostly Russians fighting on behalf of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, died in a failed attack on a base held by U.S. and mainly Kurdish forces in the oil-rich Deir Ezzor region, two of the Russians said. The U.S. official put the death toll in the fighting at about 100, with 200 to 300 injured, but was unable to say how many were Russians...The U.S., which has advisers stationed at the base alongside Syrian Democratic Forces troops, responded with aircraft and artillery fire.

Senators flag 'unusual' Susan Rice email on Russia probe from Inauguration Day | 12 Feb 2018 | Ex-national security adviser Susan Rice sent an "unusual email" to herself the day President Trump was sworn into office documenting former President Barack Obama's guidance at a high-level meeting about how law enforcement should investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race, two Republican senators said Monday. According to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Lindsey Graham, the partially unclassified email was sent by Rice on Jan. 20, 2017 -- and appears to document a Jan. 5 meeting that included Obama, then-FBI Director James Comey, then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, then-Vice President Joe Biden and Rice.

Trump infrastructure plan could sell off Reagan, Dulles airports | 12 Feb 2018 | The Trump administration's infrastructure plan released Monday proposes that the federal government consider selling off Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. The administration wants to allow federal agencies to divest assets if they "can demonstrate an increase in value from the sale would optimize the taxpayer value for federal assets," according to Trump's blueprint for an infrastructure package. It also includes the George Washington and Baltimore Washington parkways, the Washington Aqueduct and the transmission assets of the Tennessee Valley Authority and Bonneville Power Administration on the list for "potential divestiture."

New Mexico Lawmakers Rally Around Spaceport Secrecy Bill | 12 Feb 2018 | New Mexico lawmakers rallied Friday around a proposal to provide greater confidentiality for aerospace companies working out of a taxpayer-funded space launch facility in southern New Mexico, over the objections of open-government advocates. A Senate panel unanimously endorsed a bill that would provide exceptions to state open-records law for information about tenants at Spaceport America. The legislation broadens the definition of trade secrets that are exempt from public disclosure, adding information tied to business operations at the launch facility overseen by the state[taxpayer]-funded New Mexico Spaceport Authority.

Student government rushes resolution denouncing free speech bill | 12 Feb 2018 | South Dakota State University's student senate recently passed a resolution objecting to the state legislature's efforts to protect free speech on college campuses. Some senators, however, allege that they were provided with a copy of the resolution just ten hours before voting on its passage. "Senators were kept in the Student Union until nearly 11pm, and were repeatedly pushed to bypass rules and vote on the resolution less than 10 hours after it was drafted, and before any students could be consulted," claims a letter drafted by six student senators that was sent to the sponsors of House Bill 1073--a bill seeking to guarantee free speech on college campuses. [Please take away my rights, please!]

National Association of Scholars Holds Event on Academic Freedom | 06 Feb 2018 | Heterodox Academy and the National Association of Scholars [NAS] held an event to discuss the issue of academic freedom in universities on Thursday, Feb. 1 in the Henry Kaufman Management Center...[NAS President Peter] Wood took note of the university's friction with self-proclaimed "deplorable" professor Michael Rectenwald [and CLGNews founder], who has criticized safe spaces and political correctness, among other campus mainstays, on his Twitter account. Rectenwald's has gained notoriety due to his provocative statements about political correctness and campus academics via his account. NAS has published [will publish] Rectenwald's essays [excerpts from Rectenwald's book] in its quarterly journal, Academic Questions.

Sweden tried to drop Assange extradition in 2013, CPS emails show --UK prosecutors tried to dissuade Swedish counterparts from doing so, exchange shows | 11 Feb 2018 | Swedish prosecutors attempted to drop extradition proceedings against Julian Assange as early as 2013, according to a confidential exchange of emails with the Crown Prosecution Service seen by the Guardian. The sequence of messages also appears to challenge statements by the CPS that the case was not live at the time emails were deleted by prosecutors, according to supporters of the WikiLeaks founder...Assange still faces arrest for breaching his former bail conditions in the UK if he leaves the embassy in Knightsbridge. He fears there is a secret US indictment against him relating to WikiLeaks’ disclosure of leaked classified US documents.

Donald Trump Jr.'s wife hospitalized after opening envelope with white powder --A hazmat crew was called to the scene and began decontamination procedures shortly after the incident. | 12 Feb 2018 | Donald Trump Jr.’s wife, Vanessa Trump, was hospitalized Monday after receiving a letter containing white powder that was later deemed to be non-hazardous, New York City police told Fox News. President Trump‘s daughter-in-law opened the letter addressed to Donald Trump Jr. just after 10 a.m. at the couple's Manhattan apartment. It's unclear what the "white powder" was, but authorities tested the substance and found it to be "non-hazardous." Vanessa Trump was taken to the hospital as a precaution, police said. Two other people who were also exposed to the powder were taken to the hospital.

71 killed in Moscow region passenger plane crash - what we know so far | 11 Feb 2018 | Saratov Airlines' Antonov An-148 jet carrying 65 passengers and six crew crashed after take-off outside Moscow. As salvage efforts are underway at the crash site, we sum up everything we know so far about the deadly accident. Domodedovo air traffic control lost contact with Saratov Airlines flight 703, bound for Orsk, several minutes after take off, an official from Russia's Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) told local media. He said communication with the crew was cut and the plane vanished from radar screens...The crash might have been caused by weather conditions, human error or technical failure, according to TASS, citing an emergency source. However, the source said there were no extreme weather conditions in the Moscow region at the time.

US to send thousands of extra Marines to East Asia to counter China - report | 10 Feb 2018 | The Pentagon reportedly plans a "major muscle movement" from the Middle East to East China, with thousands of extra Marines to be deployed. The goal is to "persuade Pacific nations to stand with the US" and not China. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the US plans to boost its military presence in the East Pacific with rotating deployment of Marine Expeditionary Units, or MEUs. An MEU is a group of about 2,200 Marines who operate from amphibious assault ships and have their own aircraft, tanks, heavy weapons, and other resources. A typical deployment lasts for seven months and may involve missions on the shore like patrols or military-to-military training.

High school pulls musical after outcry over casting white student | 07 Feb 2017 | An upstate New York high school has pulled its upcoming musical production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" after students protested the casting of a white classmate for the lead role of Esmeralda. Ithaca High School faced backlash by some students who banded together in protest following the exit of another member of the spring play due to the casting of Esmeralda - a fictional character that portrays a 15th century Romani gypsy in Victor Hugo's 1831 novel...Another demand read: "STOP ignoring and denying that you have created a white centered program run by white adults for the benefit of white children."

Trump signs bill to end 2nd government shutdown in weeks --Stopgap budget measure boosts spending, sets up new fiscal showdown by March 23 --It was the second shutdown this year | 09 Feb 2018 | The U.S. Congress ended a brief government shutdown on Friday by reaching a wide-ranging deal that is expected to push annual budget deficits to around $1 trillion. The bill passed by a wide margin in the Senate and survived a rebellion of 67 conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives thanks to the support of some Democrats. President Donald Trump signed the measure into law on Friday morning, ending a government shutdown that began just after midnight, when Congress was still debating the budget deal.

Sen. Tim Kaine demands release of secret Trump war powers memo | 09 Feb 2018 | Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is demanding the release of a secret memo outlining President Donald Trump's interpretation of his legal authority to wage war. Kaine, a member of the Armed Services and the Foreign Relations committees, sent a letter Thursday night to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seeking a seven-page memo the administration has kept under wraps for months. Kaine has been leading the charge for Trump to outline his legal rationale for a U.S. bombing campaign in Syria last April in response to President Bashar al-Assad's [or, the White Helmets' or other terrorist agency's] chemical attacks on civilians.

Second White House official departs amid abuse allegations, which he denies | 09 Feb 2018 | A White House speechwriter resigned Friday after his former wife claimed that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their turbulent 2½ -year marriage -- allegations that he vehemently denied, saying she was the one who victimized him. The abrupt departure of David Sorensen, a speechwriter who worked under senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, came as The Washington Post was reporting on a story about abuse claims by his ex-wife, Jessica Corbett. Corbett told The Post that she described his behavior to the FBI last fall as the bureau was conducting a background check of Sorensen.

Justice Department's No. 3 official to resign | 09 Feb 2018 | Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand is stepping down from her post as the Justice Department faces intense criticism from President Trump. The New York Times first reported Friday that Brand is resigning after nine months on the job. She is expected to take a job as general counsel in the private sector. As the No. 3 official at the Justice Department, Brand would be next in line to oversee special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into [alleged] Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which Trump has blasted as a "witch hunt."

White House seeks revisions to Democrats' FISA rebuttal memo, halting release | 09 Feb 2018 | The White House on Friday told Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee to redraft their rebuttal to a controversial GOP memo alleging government surveillance abuse during the 2016 campaign, saying sensitive details need to be stripped out before the document can be made public. The message was sent to the committee on Friday in a letter from White House Counsel Don McGahn. "Although the president is inclined to declassify the February 5th Memorandum, because the Memorandum contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages, he is unable to do so at this time," McGahn wrote.

New York Times dumps bombshell 7:30 p.m. on a Friday night:Deep State NSA Spies Gave $100,000 to Russian Agent for Fabricated Compromising Material on Trump --$100K was first installment of $1M payout --U.S. intelligence officials said they cut off the deal because they were fearful of political fallout in Washington if they were seen to be buying [with U.S. tax dollars] scurrilous information on the president. --The N.S.A. even used its official Twitter account nearly a dozen times to send coded messages to the Russian. | 09 Feb 2018 | After months of secret negotiations, a shadowy Russian bilked American spies out of $100,000 last year, promising to deliver compromising material on President Trump. The deal would also include stolen National Security Agency cyberweapons, according to American and European intelligence officials. The cash, delivered in a suitcase to a Berlin hotel room in September, was intended as the first installment of a $1 million payout, according to American officials, the Russian and communications reviewed by The New York Times. The Russian claimed the information would link the president and his associates to Russia. But instead of providing the hacking tools, the Russian produced unverified and possibly fabricated information involving Mr. Trump and others, including bank records, emails and purported Russian intelligence data.

Tepco, operator of Fukushima nuclear plant, to pay an extra $10m in damages | 08 Feb 2018 | A Tokyo court has ordered the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant to pay $10m in fresh damages to residents who fled their homes after the disaster, the plaintiffs' attorney said on Thursday. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) was instructed to pay a total of 1.1bn yen to 318 former residents of the Odaka district in Fukushima, about 20km from the plant. The sum is a 10th of what the plaintiffs had demanded, citing the financial hardship and psychological impact they suffered after the March 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima.

Former Obama official confirms Steele dossier was given to State Department | 09 Feb 2018 | An official at former President Obama's State Department has confirmed a claim made by Republicans that former British spy Christopher Steele and allies of Hillary Clinton gave him intelligence reports claiming that President Trump was compromised by the Russians. In an op-ed for the Washington Post titled "Devin Nunes is investigating me: Here's the Truth," former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jonathan Winer says Steele and Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal approached him with separate dossiers claiming malfeasance between President Trump and Russia. Winer's op-ed confirms the chain of events Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) detailed in a criminal referral for Steele, in which he asks the Justice Department to investigate the former intelligence agent for allegedly lying to the FBI about his contacts with the media.

Senate sends budget deal to the House after standoff | 09 Feb 2018 | The U.S. Senate early Friday approved the bipartisan budget deal, sending the plan to the House in the next few hours for approval. The plan was approved easily after a 71 to 28 vote. A last-minute maneuver by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., delayed consideration of a bipartisan budget package to keep the government open past midnight. The result is at least a temporary shutdown.

US government officially shuts down as Congress fails to pass spending bill in time| 09 Feb 2018 | U.S. government funding lapsed Friday as Congress's efforts to pass a spending bill fizzled out in the Senate for the second time in less than a month. Despite bipartisan support for a massive budget agreement, Congress failed to approve a funding plan before the midnight Thursday deadline. In this case, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked repeated moves to vote on the measure over concerns about massive spending increases contained in the budget deal. Paul called the spending reckless and pushed for a vote on an amendment to reinstate budget caps, which Senate leadership did not allow.

Dartmouth student accused of 'violence' for op-ed on diversity --Ryan Spector alleged that the Trips Directorate selected 15 women and 4 men because of its "extreme application of a diversity policy," earning him condemnations from more than 30 campus organizations. --The statements mocked Spector for his "white male tears," calling his op-ed an "attack" that "invisibilizes" those with "marginalized identities" and "perpetuates the culture of toxic, male, white supremacy." | 08 Feb 2018 | A Dartmouth College student's op-ed alleging gender bias on a trip-planning committee has resulted in an outpouring of criticism from liberal classmates. Within a day of its posting, the opinion piece titled "You're Not Tripping" in The Dartmouth had ignited a campus-wide uproar. In this op-ed, Ryan Spector '19 detailed his disappointment with 2018 First-Year Trips directorate selection process...After being rejected from the directorate himself, Spector accused the directors in charge of the selection process of having an "obsession with diversity" that "verges on the inane," in light of its extremely female-heavy composition.

US Army Holding Drills With Ground Robots That Shoot | 08 Feb 2018 | In a historic first, the Army conducted a live fire exercise with a remote-controlled ground combat vehicle armed with a .50-caliber machine gun. It plans to conduct more exercises with more heavily armed ground robots within the next couple of years. The demonstration was part of the annual Northern Strike exercise, which took place last July and August at Michigan's Camp Grayling. Primarily geared toward reserve units, this year's event debuted an unmanned, heavily armed M113 armored personnel carrier. The driver and the weapons operator followed behind in a slightly larger M577 command post vehicle.